I woke up the other day in a not-so-good place. It wasn’t anything specific that put me there, but at the time it felt like a small storm of 2 weeks before book deadline/ money panic/ fear about how this book will be received/ what happened to the summer/ what will I do next/ and so on and so on. But most of all it was because that was where my head was, and it was hard to get out of it.
I try to be a good little meditator, so even when I’m too stubborn to meditate, I still carry around my experience that it’s not what the world is doing to me, it’s how I react that affects how I feel. This is a double edged sword, because although it tends to get me out of the pattern of feeling like a victim (if only __ would fix this, it would all be alright), instead I’m always aware of the fact that I (ideally) have the power to shift my own mood, regardless of the actual circumstances of the moment. So instead of getting mad at the world, I get mad at myself for not being able to find my way out of it.
So that’s where I was. And pissed at myself as I was, I went in search of a shift of perspective. I needed a few things at the store for some recipe testing, and I put on a sundress and Rosie and I hopped in the car and I went out into the world.
There we are at the store, and I’m in the produce aisle loading up my cart with these glorious peaches. I realized the fruit bowl had been empty, and I thought–this! This will help. (I have a thing about the fruit bowl.) And then I rounded my cart around the corner, and the cart tapped a shelf, which (in slow motion) started to fall.
I watched all the cookies on the shelf fly, and I realized I was about to be the woman who has knocked over all the cookies at the grocery store. I am that woman! And then as the cookies scattered all around me, the shelf landed squarely on my foot.
After Joey came to get me and we dropped the girls and the peaches off at home, we set off for the ER. It was a big day for injuries. The emergency room at our little hospital is usually empty, but it was packed. There was an older couple there, holding hands–she reading her book and he looking warm and feverish. There was a woman, alone, in tears in her hospital wheelchair, and I got enough snippets of her cell-phone conversations to piece together that a horse had fallen on her. There was a young couple without insurance who needed some sort of vaccination for their three year old. And there was what seemed like a father and son, who were there with the son’s wife. I couldn’t figure out what had happened, but somehow both men had been burned in some way. And I sat there with my foot propped up on my bag, wondering how I was going to finish testing this book with what was looking like a broken foot.
For hours, I watched people complain and care for each other and cry and distract their kids with iPads and card games. I watched the older couple, who were right across from me, and she kept squeezing his hand. One of the nurses moved me to a bed in the hallway so I could keep my foot up, and every doctor and nurse smiled at me as they walked by.
“I’m so sorry. We’ll get to you soon.”
And every time, I smiled back. And I answered, “I’m okay! Don’t worry about me. I’m not going anywhere.”
It got busier, and a grumpy man in a wheelchair kept calling from one of the rooms: “I’ve been here for 4 hours! I need to pee!” And the nurses walked faster and the doctors looked more tired, and every time they passed, they smiled. Someone offered me a Twizzler.
Finally, they wheeled my bed to the X-ray machine, and the technician smiled and apologized for the busy ER, and I said, “It’s okay! I’m okay.” And when the doctor finally came over to my little spot in the hallway and told me that my foot wasn’t broken, and that I’d be up and walking again in a few days, I felt a huge weight off my shoulders. And there I was, lucky. I’d just been standing there at the moment that shelf was ready to fall, and it fell with enough force to jolt me out of my funk, but not quite enough to crush all those little bones on the top of my foot. Pure luck. Joey came to pick me up, and I swung out of there on crutches, and he kissed me, and I said, “It’s okay! I’m okay!”
And I was.
Peach Cinnamon Yogurt Pops
Years ago, Molly Wizenberg wrote about a raspberry yogurt pop, and that pop was the inspiration for this recipe. Peach and cinnamon is one of my favorite combinations, especially delicious when frozen. This makes more than enough to fill a 10-pop mold, or you can fill few ice cube trays and make smaller pops, too.
1 lb very ripe peaches (about 4) , peeled, halved, and pitted
2 cups plain, whole milk yogurt
1/3 cup honey
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Squeeze of lemon
Combine the peaches, yogurt, honey, cinnamon, and lemon in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a popsicle mold or a few ice cube trays (cut pop sticks in half for ice cube trays) and freeze until solid, 3 to 5 hours. If you have any mix leftover, just pour it into a glass and drink it.
Occasionally I teach workshops, and I have one coming up this fall. Join me and stellar novelist 
Alana, I love that the shelf, instead of breaking your foot, knocked the funk from your mind. xo
Funny what it takes sometimes, isn’t it? I’m trying to let the universe know that maybe next time we could skip the injury all together… we’ll see 🙂
Alana, thanks for your sweet post. Glad your foot is on the mend!
I’m in St. Louis, a few miles from all the unrest in Ferguson, and we are all rooting for peace here…as things descend further into chaos. The little things that remind us we are all okay go out into a larger collective–and that matters. Be well and keep sending out that sweet peace into the larger world. It matters.
Peace,
Terri
Oh, Terri- I know I’m not alone when I say that I’m sending all my hopes and thoughts for peace over to your part of the world today.
Hope you are enjoying a chillaxed day with your foot up?
Many people here meditating for peace today, thanks for your sweet voice as well (bow)
Best wishes on your new book.
T
You make me want to meditate so I can shift perspectives and handle life’s blows with as much poise as you did.
Heal well, my friend.
x.
Thank you, friend <3
Alana, wishing you all the best with healing your foot! As quickly as possible. BTW, I love the recipe. It’s hard to find organic peaches after the vortex this Winter killed the fruit on so many trees in our region. But, it’s so important–guess I’ll save this recipe for another season, or use a different fruit.
Thank you, Margit! I’m healing up well 🙂 And yes- its true, it’s been a hard year for stone fruit. We hardly access to any organic local stone fruit here (even in good years) unless I grow it, but we’ve got some great farms growing peaches with IPM methods, and I know we’re lucky to have access to that. There’s a farm right over the border in New York state that seems to be having a good year, and they’re practices, although not organic, are pretty sound.
Alana,
I live way over on the other side of the country (foothills of hte Sierra Nevada Mountains), but I’ve been to the Berkshires and the little farmers markets in the small, revolutionary-war era villages near where you live. Are you the home-made kombucha lady?
Anyway, I read your book Homemade Pantry cover-to-cover the other night, having found it at the local branch library. Now, I have to buy it. There is much too much good stuff in there to try to copy it all down. You are a GEM! Keep on keeping on, my friend.
Your fan and sister in the kitchen, Susan
Hello Susan, and thank you for your generous and wonderful note 🙂 I am not the homemade kombucha lady, but now I’m wondering who is! (I know a few possible contenders.)
Sending all my best over these many miles, a
Roasting tomatoes via A Way To Garden with Margaret Roach — I’ve tried this twice now, following the directions explicitly. Quartered several varieties of tomatoes — Green Zebra, Orange Jubilee, Purple Cherokee, Black Prince and my prized (being saved at SeedSavers) Theuret, a scrumptious red brandywine.
Left them in oven, quartered in nice size pieces, skin down, on parchment paper, a little garlic salt and then drizzled olive oil, 275 degree oven and at 3 hours they are done. But—–after 4 hours they were too well done — black around edges!!! I use a large cookie sheet — something is awry. My oven temp is accurate.
Hi Judy- welcome!
It doesn’t sound like anything is awry, as the cooking time certainly varies by the size and water. As I said in my conversation with Margaret as well as my post, I find that 3 hours is good and 5 hours is better. (Sometimes 8 is even better!) But some tomatoes may well be done at 3, and by all means, take them out then! I also love a little bit of blackened skin, but again, that’s really up to your preference. That’s why there’s such a timing range in the recipe–certainly follow your tastes when you’re deciding when to take them out. And if you’re finding the tomatoes are cooking to quickly for your taste, perhaps try just coring and halving them instead of quartering? That should slow them down a bit. All the best, Alana
Can this recipe be ice cream? It looks like it could…
I think it could! I might just mash the peaches a bit, though, to keep some bites in there? If you try it, will you let us know?
Finally got around to having enough ripe peaches (No! You may not have a peach…I need them for a recipe!) to try and I just followed your recipe (as written) and threw everything in the Donvier – it was yummy! Thanks!
Here’s hoping your foot is feeling as good as new now and that you can race down to the finish line. I think we’ll need to chat when it’s all said and done. Thinking of you!
Oh, thank you Aimee! I just pressed send today! (Can’t wait to chat…)
Hi, i just wanted to let you know i checked out your Homemade Pantry book from the library i work at the other day, noticing in it a few recipes that might please my VERY particular 6-year-old (who happens to be named Sadie!)…..and i am pleased to say that in one day, i made the granola and the chicken nuggets and she loved both of them!! She loved that one of your daughters was also named Sadie, and we now call it The Sadie Cookbook 🙂 She wanted me to write to you and tell you how much she loved the chicken….she even wanted me to take a picture of her eating it!!…..so here i am 🙂 Thank you so much for a wonderful book, with excellent recipes, and touching real stories. It is a pleasure to read and cook from. -Amy S.
Oh, this makes me so happy! I’ll tell Sadie, too :)- she’ll love it. Hello to your Sadie!
This is the second time peach yogurt pops have ‘popped’ (heh!) up in my internet browsings in 2 days…They were a staple of my childhood (all sorts of homeade popscicles) and I haven’t had one in a million years. I think I need to buy a popscicle mold today. Or some new ice trays. And I do hope your foot heals quickly! Sometimes we do need a jolt to get us back to a better place; sorry your’s was so painful! Also I am much looking forward to your new book!
Thank you, Elisabeth! (All healed up now 🙂 ) And yes, I think I pop mold is such a good investment. I love the standard basic 10-pop mold- I think it’s made by Norpro? It makes good big pops, and it’s held up super well.
Hello dear, hope you are feeling better. I bought homemade pantry over a year ago and have used it so much it is literally falling apart. I now make my own abstracts and grow the herbs to make my tea blends. I have 4 grown kids who now request the pop tarts every time they come home. If you have a minute I need your help. My best friend of 35 years is coming for a visit. She and her husband are staunch vegans, so I am a little panicky about feeding them. I’ve made your hummus(and the tahini) and I’m making a sauce of the roasted tomatoes over eggless pasta. I want to make your veggie burger but can’t use the egg. Have you ever made it with a different binder? I’m afraid I’m stumped.
Hello Natalie, I’m so happy to hear the book has gotten so much love in your kitchen. It means so much to me to hear it 🙂
Now, for the vegans… it sounds like you’re feeding them so well, and I’m sure they’ll be happy even if the veggie burgers are slightly more crumbly than you’re used to. I’ve never made them without egg, but my first thought is to use ground flax seed, which is a great egg replacement. For every 1 egg (so you’d double this for the veggie burger recipe), whisk 3 tablespoons of water into 1 tablespoon ground flax seed (you can grind it in a coffee grinder, if you have one). I haven’t tried it with this recipe in particular, but in general it works great as an egg-free binder. And there are so many other flavors in there, I don’t think you’ll even taste the flax. One other option if you have them in your pantry is to do the same process with ground chia seeds, which are even milder in flavor. They work as a great binder too. Have a wonderful visit with your friend, and let me know how the veggie burgers go!
Thanks so much for taking the time to get back to me. The veggie burgers worked great! I made 10 patties and had some of the mix left so I tried an experiment. I added bisquick (vegan) vegan cheese and sage and made vegan sausage balls! Crazy right? They held together well and taste pretty good! Hope you have a great week. Natalie
Oh I’m so glad. (And vegan sausage balls! I’m going to file that one away for the next time vegans come for dinner.)
Sending healing wishes your way and just wanted to say thanks for Homemade Pantry which is beautiful on many levels. I love the stories you use for each recipe and then, of course, the recipes themselves. Thanks for such a warm book. We had a great time making crackers the other day and although we just did it from memory with some substitutions they turned out beautifully– your book is a motivational gem!
In reference to how your cookbook will be received: if your other readers are anything like me they’ll be waiting for the bookstore to open the day it’s released!
I’ll have to try this recipe. My son with autism is a very resistant eater but has recently realized how awesome popsicles and ice cream are, I bet he’ll like this.
It’s been a few weeks since you posted this, hopefully your foot is feeling better!
Thank you, Krysta! I hope these are a hit with your son. I do find that the power of popsicles is pretty great. And yes- I’m all healed, thank you!